APRIL 30, 2005

Bahrain shopkeepers unhappy

Retailers in Bahrain say that they are not making money from the Grand Prix. With two races gone they are reporting that while Formula 1 may have brought a lot of money and business into the country in general, very little has reached them. The race fans are not spending their time in the shopping malls. The retailers say that the race fans need to be made more aware of the suq district where much of the selling is done.

There is speculation in Bahrain that the hotels are taking all the money because they are insisting on a minimum of five days stay and the prices were very high, which deters people from spending elsewhere. Hotel availability remains a problem with some fans flying in on race day and then leaving straight away.